This Flower Means 'I Love You'
by 10Blue10
Summary: The Doctor wants to get River some extra special flowers for her birthday...


This Flower Means 'I Love You' 

Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Doctor Who.

The Doctor walked into the flower shop and smiled at the pretty young lady behind the desk. "Hello sir, my name is Anna. How can I help you?" she said pleasantly. It sounded a little scripted, since she had probably spoken that same line a hundred times, but she sounded genuinely eager to please and not just bored and obliged.

"Right, yes. It's my wife's birthday soon, or earlier, I guess it depends on your viewpoint of linear and subjective…anyway, I want to get her some flowers. I think she likes flowers. She's never told me she does, but all women like flowers, right?" he asked. Anna nodded in earnest agreement. "So, I suppose you won't be sure what type of flowers she'd like?" she asked, and the Doctor shook his head, looking rather embarrassed, as if it was something he ought to know about his wife.

Anna actually thought he looked rather young to be married. He couldn't be much older than her, although she couldn't for the life of her figure out why he'd be wearing such old fashioned clothes. And a bowtie! The only other person she knew who wore a bowtie was her grandfather. Still, it was none of her business when and who her customers married, or what they wore. "Here we are" she said, pulling a large leather bound book down off the shelf. "This contains all the meanings of every flower you can think of. We can put together a gorgeous bouquet in no time".

The Doctor settled down in a chair and flicked to the contents page. Normally he could read the entire book in a matter of minutes, regardless of its size, but he wanted to take his time with this. That was another new feeling. He traced his finger down the contents and stopped on a heading halfway down- 'Water Flowers'. What could be more perfect for River Song, Melody Pond?

There were many water flowers, but none of their meanings said 'River Song'. Until he came to the 'L' section, where one flower _shouted _River. Not in the tacky sense, it was literally perfect for her. A rich blue colour, with yellow in the centre, the colours he _knew _were her favourites. According to the caption, this flower represented enlightenment, faithfulness, and rebirth. It grew out of the mud and bloomed into a beautiful flower.

There was no question about it; this flower was perfect for River. Now he needed a flower that meant eternal love. A rose was romantic, but that particular flower tended to bring back memories. Not bad ones, by any means, but the Doctor wanted a fresh start with River. He preferred to leave his past memories where they were- in the past.

Eventually he found a suitable flower in the 'H' section of 'Romantic Flowers'. One more, a flower that meant forgiveness. That was important. River needed to know that he truly forgave her. Sadly, there seemed to be no flowers that portrayed that feeling. "No, there isn't a flower that really means 'I forgive you'. There are several flowers that mean someone is asking for forgiveness, though. My mum used to say, if you can't find the flower that means what you want to say, it's a message from heaven that you have to say it yourself".

Anna sighed and gave a small smile. "That's how she got married, to my dad. This is her shop, see, and she's always loved flowers; she wanted to give him a rose to tell him she loved him, but she couldn't find one anywhere. This was in the middle of spring, by the way, so there should have been loads, but they were just blooming late for some reason. Eventually she plucked up the courage to just say the words, and he gave her a new pink bud that had just blossomed in a nearby bush".

Then Anna snapped out of her reverie and blushed. "Listen to me, rambling on about my folks. So, err, have you decided which flowers you'd like to give your wife?" she asked. The Doctor nodded and showed her the two pictures. "They're beautiful" she smiled, "let's see- one of those, with six of the other arranged around it, and wrapped up in a ribbon. Do you have a colour preference?" Anna asked the Doctor, who replied "blue. The brightest, wateriest blue you have, please".

The ribbon that Anna tied the bouquet up in was a light turquoise colour, shimmery and silky. It looked like a river in its own right. "There, how's that?" she asked when she'd finished. The Doctor beamed at her. "It's perfect. Thank you, Anna". He leaned over the desk and gave her a European air kiss. "My pleasure. Goodbye…oh, I don't believe it, I never asked your name" she sighed. "Oh, my name's John, John…Smith" Anna raised an eyebrow, but the Doctor just shrugged and left the flower shop.

River looked up in excitement when she heard the unmistakable whoosh of the TARDIS. Would he ever remember to turn the breaks off? She strode confidently over to her cell door and pulled it open; she'd already jimmied the lock in readiness. He was standing there in his suit, smiling at her. "Hello, sweetie" she sing-songed happily. "Good evening, Mrs Song. Happy birthday" he replied smugly.

River decided not to tell him that it was the eleventh of June, and her birthday was on the fourth. She noticed that he was hiding something behind his back, and tried to look behind him. "Ah, ah, ah. First you have to give me something" he teased her. "Such as?". "A kiss would be nice". "Oh, I'll give you much more than a kiss, sweetie". River winked at him, and the Doctor rolled his eyes in fond exasperation.

She sashayed up to him and pecked him on the lips. "There, now can I see what you've got for me?" The Doctor sighed. "You're insufferable" he informed her, and brought the bouquet up in front of her eyes. River's eyes widened at the sight the gorgeous lotus flower, nestled in the middle of all those rich royal purple heliotropes. "Oh, you wonderful man. I love them".

River and the Doctor spent a romantic night together on the planet Paradise, and the Doctor never discovered his timing mistake. Later he took River to meet Anna, who helped her put together a bunch of gladiolus flowers for Father's Day. Rory found them on the front step that day, and the only clue as to who they were from was the fact that they were wrapped together by a familiar dark blue bowtie.


End file.
